Selecting a preschool for your child can seem like such a daunting task. As a parent who just wants the best for their child, you’re scrutinizing schools in hopes of finding the top rated, safest and overall best preschool in the area. It’s important to take the time you need to make the decisions you feel are best for your child, but keep in mind that your academic decision-making is far from over. Fortunately, there are many resources available to help you make these difficult decisions that could have a substantial effect on your child’s path in life.

There are 30,861 private schools in the United States, educating 5.3 million PK-12 students. Private schools account for 24% of the nation’s schools and enroll 10% of all PK-12 students. One of the main benefits of enrolling your child in a private school is the smaller class size. Most private schools are small; 86% have fewer than 300 students. This may not seem like a big difference, but in reality, the smaller class size drastically increases the amount of time students can work with their teachers one-on-one. This means students enrolled in a preparatory school as opposed to a public high school consistently score higher on their SAT’s. Average national SAT scores were 497 in reading, 514 in math, and 489 in writing. Students in independent schools scored 541, 579, and 550.

While it may seem ideal to enroll your child in a private school, the sad reality is that not every family can afford it – especially parents with multiple children. If you want the best education for your child but can’t afford the costly tuition that goes along with it, don’t worry. Children who attend preschool do 21% better on math and reading tests in kindergarten than children who do not attend. That’s right – preschool attendance can also drastically improve your child’s math, reading, and overall cognitive abilities. Additionally, in a review of three separate studies, 80% of children who participated in preschool programs outperformed their peers who did not participate in high-quality early care and education programs. As you can see, getting your child into the honors program later in life could be as easy as assuring they go to preschool.

Overall, making the right academic decisions for children is absolutely vital to their well-being. If you can’t afford to send them to a private school, you can still sign them up for a reputable preschool and rest assured that your child will be ahead of the game when it comes to their education.

Letting your child go to preschool can be a terrifying step in a mother’s journey. You gave your child life, your baby has spent every waking moment with you. Every time they’ve cried, you’ve been there to dry their eyes. Every accomplishment they’ve had, you were the one that taught it to them and the one cheering them on. All the sudden, you’re going to entrust their care and education in the hands of someone else.

You know the many benefits of academic preschool and understand that through preschool your child will develop a foundation that will serve them through their educational careers. You know that academic preschool programs help child Read more »

Learning a new language isn’t easy — and it definitely isn’t easy when you get older. Many of us hate the fact that we’re just monolingual. Knowing nothing but your mother tongue can hinder a person when they’re competing against polyglots for jobs. In fact, many jobs now only consider applicants that can speak two or more languages. Even graduate school admissions are affected by a person’s ability to speak multiple languages — or their lack thereof. While it’s not impossible to learn a new language as an adult, it’s certainly much easier to do so when you’re younger. So why not consider assisting your child in this endeavor? Perhaps the most valuable language for Americans to learn is Spanish. Spanish is used in many different professional fields, and for that matter the close Read more »

This world, though vast and varied, is growing smaller with each new invention and connected device. There are more and more individuals deserting the standard formula and expectations of getting a job and settling down in one place. People are realizing that this beautiful world is worth wandering and exploring. And even for those staying put, there are more and more opportunities to interact with people from other cultures and people who speak other languages. One way that you can help to encourage this interaction and openness is by getting your children involved from a young age. Spanish for preschoolers is a great way to introduce your young ones to other cultures.

The many benefits of Spanish for preschoolsLearning a new language is the perfect window into anothe Read more »

Our daily lives are fueled by the need to work in order to provide for our families; this is colloquially referred to as that “daily grind.” Although Americans are making more money per hour today than previous years, one must also take into account the cost of living changes that have occurred over the decades. In 1975 the average cost of a new home would be $209,417 in 2015 dollars while today’s equivalent in minimum wages for 1975 would have been $9.16 per hour; compare that to 2015′s average for a home at $270,200 and minimum wage of $8.25 per hour! It is no surprise to learn that parents are spending more time at work with roughly two-thirds of children between the ages of two and four years old attending part time or full time child care centers.

Currently, there are approximately 30,861 private schools in the United States. These schools provide an education to 5.3 million students from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade.

Are you considering a private high school for your teenager? If so, you are probably already aware of the many benefits to attending a private, rather than a public, high school.

The Benefits of Private School

First of all, most private schools have less than 300 students. These schools also tend to be less than half the size of an average public school.

Secondly, the classes are smaller with a lower student-teacher ratio. Private schools usually have 12.5 students for every teacher, while public schools usually have 15.4 students per teacher. Since there is a smaller student-to-teacher r Read more »

Today, raising a bilingual child is a hot topic among many parents, and Spanish is by far the most popular foreign language for children to learn. Previous studies have shown that bilingual employees earn 20% more per hour on average than monolingual employees. There are also many cultural benefits to learning a second language as well.

The earlier you introduce your kids to a foreign language, the better, and parents should try to start lessons before the age of five years whenever possible. While that might seem premature, very young children are actually far, far better at learning new languages than even the smartest adults. If you cannot find a dual language preschool or secure admission to an academy that offers preschool Spanish lessons, there are still options. If you’re interested in fun Spanish lessons for preschoolers, then here are a few things to keep in mind:Read more »

There is a formula in the United States that suggests, should it be followed to the letter, you could end up with your perfect, ideal, American dream, the kind that maybe you have fantasized about since you were a child, or that you marveled at in movies when you were growing up. Go to college however it is possible for you to do so, whether or not that includes going into debt, get a job, get a nice car, buy a house, work as much as possible to afford it all. Follow this formula, and it could all be yours.

The problem is, real life is messy, and very easily gets in the way of a structured formula. And on top of that, not everyone’s perfect American dream is made of the same key ingredients.

Awareness of autism and the problems that is causes has risen in the past few years. The condition itself is a neural development disorder. The characteristics of autism are impaired social communication and interaction and by repetitive and restrictive behavior. Approximately one in 50 children is impacted by autism, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It impacts the way information is processes by the brain. This is because the nerve cells and their synapses have been altered so they organize and connect in a different way than in non-autistic people. The signs of autism are apparent before a child reaches the age of three. If your child ha Read more »

It looks as if your oldest daughter’s Spanish education has come full circle. Three days after she walks across the stage and receives her college school diploma, she, her fellow graduates, and the Spanish language professor are leaving for Spain. This final part of her formal Spanish training, and an amazing addition to the Spanish curriculum, will include trips to the following locations:

Prado National Museum in Madrid

Basilica of the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona

Seville Cathedral in Seville

Siam Park in Adeje

Timanfaya National Park in Lanzarote

Basilica de Nuestra Senora del Pilar in Zaragoza

All of this with a group of friends and adults who are fluent in the Spanish language. A perfect way to wrap up a college degree Read more »